


Bus Ride Home

by bmo_galaxy



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, insecure!bones, mckirk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-06
Updated: 2013-08-06
Packaged: 2017-12-22 14:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/914039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bmo_galaxy/pseuds/bmo_galaxy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the five year mission, Bones convinces Jim to start speaking with his mother again. This leads to planning a trip to Iowa. How does Bones deal with the prospect of meeting the infamous Winona Kirk?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bus Ride Home

"I don’t know about this, darlin’." His voice was gruff and quiet, nervousness threaded through it finely. Jim sighed beside him at his tone. 

They were standing shoulder to shoulder doing the dishes from dinner that night. Leonard would wash and Jim would dry. This was their routine every night, despite the fact that they owned a dishwasher. McCoy was convinced that those “damned machines didn’t know what germs were" and couldn’t possibly clean them as thoroughly as a human. So, after weeks of arguing and grumbling, Jim conceded and agreed to dry. Leo was happy they were doing the dishes right now, considering the soapy, sudsy water was hiding the slight tremor in his hands. 

They were talking about visiting Iowa. Jim’s mom had phoned a few weeks ago. Since returning from the five year tour, they had been in semi-regular contact. Bones had insisted that Jim comm her when they docked. 

_"She deserves to know that you’re home, safe and sound!" he’d argued loudly from one side of the temporary hotel room bed. Jim had glared at him heatedly._

_"If I was dead, she’d get notice. It’s no big deal that I don’t talk with her that much!"_

_"You don’t talk to her at all!"_

_Jim had crossed his arms moodily and looked away. “Not everyone had a roses and daisies relationship with their mom, Bones."_

_McCoy had softened slightly at those words, but he knew that he had a point. They needed to talk to each other at least once, or he knew that Jim would regret it when she was gone._

_"You’re going to regret not talking to her more. I bet Spock does."_

_Jim had shot him a shocked, pained look at that. His body was rigid and he looked about to explode. McCoy braced for the argument that he was sure was coming._

_Kirk surprised him._

_"You’re right. I’ll comm her in the morning."_

Now, Bones was regretting pushing so hard for them to speak. It had been awkward the first few minutes, lots of repressed feelings and painful memories and regrets. They pushed through, though, and now spoke at least once a week for a few minutes. It was tentative, as if they were getting to know strangers— which, sometimes, it felt like they were strangers to one another—but soon they were comfortable talking. 

They never talked about the past, they never brought up the fighting, the abandonment, Frank, Tarsus IV, suicide attempts, grief, pain, nothing.

They chatted about nonsense stuff— his time on the Enterprise, her new job earth side, how day to day life was.

McCoy knew that it would take time to bring up all the other stuff, but right now, he was happy they were talking at all. As much as Jim may deny it, or ignore it, he loved and missed his mom terribly. Always had. And it was Bones job to make sure Jim made the right decisions for his own happiness. He was sure that forcing Jim to speak with his mother was the right move. 

Until now. After weeks to almost tip toeing around each other, Winona had finally blurted out that she wanted Jimmy to come visit home. She assured him that they had moved to a different house, so Jim wouldn’t be faced with the memories of his childhood. And Frank would be out of town for a while, so it would just be her and Jim. 

At first, Bones had been all for the idea. He beamed at the idea of his captain getting a little closure from a visit with his mom. That was, until Jim told his mom that McCoy would be coming this. Now, Bones didn’t care that Jim’s mom knew they were together. That had been the first thing Jim had told her of his new life— he’d blurted out that he was bisexual and the love of his life was his grumpy, cranky CMO and there was nothing she could say to change his mind, she had laughed and told him that she was sure McCoy was a very special man to tame her little Jimmy. 

No, McCoy was worried about meeting this woman. A part of him wanted this woman to approve of him and accept him into their family. On the other hand, he wanted to slap this woman silly and make her sit down and listen to the hell she’d put her son through as a child. The warring emotions left him anxious and irritated. 

Jim dried the last dish and turned to his boyfriend with his hands on his hips. “It was your idea that we start communicating in the first place. If I am going to spend a week with her, you better be coming with me. Or so help me, McCoy, I’ll eat an apple every day for a week when I get back to keep you away."

McCoy grinned bitterly at the reference and snorted at his childish behavior. Shaking his head, he sighed. He knew that he was kidding himself. Not only was Jim stubborn as a mule, but Leonard had no ability to deny Jim anything. Especially when his mouth was set and his hips cocked and he looked so damn adorable all riled up. Shaking his head, McCoy groaned. 

"You know I can’t say no to you, darlin’," he grumbled. He basked in Jim’s triumphant, affectionate grin. 

A few weeks later and they were boarding the bus from the airport to little Riverside. It was a two hour bus ride and they were the only ones on the bus as it chugged along. 

With a heavy sigh, Jim leaned against his doctor’s shoulder. He could feel the tense line of McCoy’s shoulder and glancing down, he watched as his “legendary hands" clenched and unclenched. The tell tale signs of nervousness made Jim smile. 

"She’s going to like you just fine, Leonard. I promise," Jim whispered, lifting his chin to press gentle, reassuring kisses to Bones’ scruffy jaw and neck. McCoy grumbled a little before turning his eyes toward Jim. The captain looked healthy, happy, his eyes shining brightly and his grin easy. McCoy grinned gently back and pressed a kiss to the blonde’s forehead. 

Jim smiled at the peck and snuggled closer to McCoy, offering physical closeness to help calm the anxiety in his love. Bones accepted the contact, wrapping his arm around Jim’s shoulder and resting his chin on the crown of his golden head. 

Together, they sat on the lonely bus and watched the Iowan sun dip into the horizon. When they finally reached the small bus port in Riverside, Jim was napping soundly. Gently, Leo shook the captain and kissed his temple gently. 

"We’re here," he murmured, his voice tight with anxiety again. Jim smiled sleepily, but reassuringly before nuzzling against McCoy’s neck and kissing his cheek. 

"It’s going to be fine."

Gathering their bags, they stepped off the bus. The only person in the station was a small woman. Her once golden blonde hair was greying slightly, her face had worry lines and laugh lines that Jim didn’t remember, her eyes were sad and aged. When she saw them, she stood from the bench and self consciously straightened her summer dress. They smiled tentatively, shyly at each other. Jim could feel McCoy tense beside him. 

"We can do this," he whispered, moving closer to the doctor until their shoulders touched. He squeezed Leonard’s hand. 

After a deep breath, McCoy squeezed back. “Yeah, we can."


End file.
